ArtSlut

2013 Oscars afterthoughts

PICTUREWinner: ArgoShould’ve won: Zero Dark Thirty
With all the precursor awards it had picked up over the last two months, it was no surprise Argo won the big prize of the night . Still, I think a lot of love for Argo came from the fact that people were still shocked Ben Affleck didn’t get a nomination for Best Director. Also, Hollywood needs to get over punishing films they deem too controversial. Zero Dark Thirty would’ve had a better shot of winning if there wasn’t such a focused smear campaign on the more politically charged aspects of the film.
DIRECTORWinner: Ang Lee, Life of Pi
For directing the most visually inspired film of the year, Lee deserves this hands-down. Without Affleck in the lineup, this prize could’ve gone to just about any one of the nominees. It was a bit surprising it didn’t go to Steven Spielberg for Lincoln (especially since he hasn’t won in 14 years), but Lee’s win isn’t all that shocking. Like his Best Director win for Brokeback Mountain, however, his film didn’t follow suit with a victory.
LEAD ACTORWinner: Daniel Day-Lewis, LincolnShould’ve won: Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
There were three locks this year at the Oscars. Anne Hathaway winning Best Supporting Actress for Les Misérables, Amour winning Best Foreign Film, and Daniel Day-Lewis becoming the first person ever to win three Best Lead Actors Awards in his career for his performance in Lincoln. As picky as he is about accepting roles, don’t be surprised if he wins another three before it’s all said and done.
LEAD ACTRESSWinner: Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings PlaybookShould’ve won: Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
Would’ve loved to have seen Oscar history made if Emmanuelle Riva won and became the oldest Best Actress winner ever or if Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild) won and became the youngest, but Lawrence was great in her role (even though that sports stats scene still irks me as forced).
SUPPORTING ACTORWinner: Christoph Waltz, Django UnchainedShould’ve won: Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
One thing is certain: Christoph Waltz better tether himself to Quentin Tarantino for the rest of his life. This award could’ve easily gone to any of these fine actors. Waltz may have won another Supporting Actor Oscar, but his role in Django Unchained was a lead character all the way.
SUPPORTING ACTRESSWinner: Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables
Although I’ve never been a fan of giving someone an Oscar for singing (give your statue back, Jennifer Hudson!), Hathaway’s rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” has to be a considered a rare exception. She wanted that Oscar. She grubbed for it and it paid off.
Other thoughts about other awards:
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAYWinner: Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained
This was a make-up award for not giving him an Oscar for Inglourious Basterds. Also, sooner or later the Academy is going to have to give Wes Anderson some love.
ANIMATED FEATURE
Winner: Brave
This was the most disappointing award of the night. The Pixar machine takes no prisoners again, even though Brave was not nearly up to par with its other Oscar-winning films. This award needed to go to Wreck-It Ralph and it is very disconcerting it did not.
CINEMATOGRAPHYWinner: Life of Pi
Extremely well deserved, but now Roger Deakins (Skyfall) is 0-10 at the Oscars.
SOUND EDITINGWinners: Skyfall and Zero Dark Thirty
A tie?! They should’ve had James Bond and Seal Team Six fight onstage to break it like they had Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand do in 1969.
— Kiko Martínez